How to Utilize Spare Time Correctly?
How to Utilize Spare Time Correctly? It is necessary that we decide our fate, whether it was happy or miserable, during these few days of our short lives. It is known that dividing the infinite by the finite equals the infinite. Let us then imagine the great value of every second of the lifetime, however tiny it was, by which we win our infinite happiness. How regretful man will be on the day of resurrection when he sees this great loss?
There is a lot of lost time in man’s life, like the time spent in traveling from residence to work place, the many waiting hours and the time spent in bed before falling asleep. If we sum up these hours, we will find that they represent a good portion of our lifetime. That is why it is necessary to think of a permanent strategy to transform this wasted time into an investment for eternity. An example of this investment is to think of what is beneficial for life in this world and the hereafter, even if it was a saying from Tradition, a wise saying or a verse.
It is recommended that the believer gets used to being occupied with the invocation of God-even if it was verbal-for the tongue’s movement would one day affect the heart. It is known that the occupation of the heart with the invocation of Allah is the greatest guarantee for not doing misdeeds and so no single movement in life is left without investment for the eternal life.
It is sad that some people indulge in different kinds of amusement as a means of killing spare time, as if spare time is a foe that has to be killed! If anything, this indicates that these people forgot the reason behind their creation and that life in this world is comparable to a tree’s shade; the traveler stops to rest in it and then leaves it.”
The mere touring of countries, on which a great some of money is spent, is not a commendable act if it does not have a good influence on life. Tourism has to have two reasons: Refreshment, so that one returns to life’s arena with a greater energy; or seeking to acquire a higher rank in faith by traveling to the holy places.
The believer is an aiming being who is responsible for all his affairs. Therefore, his choice of things must not be random. Thus, his choice of the country, which he wants to travel to, must not negatively affect his obligation towards his religion, himself and his family. What is the wisdom of spending money on things that increase the distance from Allah?
During traveling, some people tend to relinquish many of their obligations, whereas they should know that Allah watches over them and knows what they are doing in all states. Therefore, the chaste woman must watch herself even if she was in non-Moslem countries.
It is necessary to be very careful regarding foods and drinks in infidel countries, because if the body grows on forbidden foods, it will be transformed into a tool for doing what is forbidden. Allah’s bounds must be kept, because perhaps Allah has concealed his punishment in a forbidden act-like eating or drinking-which we might not take seriously.
We must watch the adolescents when they are taken along to countries dominated by sin and dishonor, because some deviations may start in these unclean atmospheres. How painful it is to see a parent, by the wealth that Allah commanded him to manage well, unintentionally leads his child to committing sins!
Because traveling makes man neglect his commitment to the sharia, it is necessary to strictly follow the prayers’ requirements regarding cleanliness, timing and the like. It is known that the true believer is always committed, whether in his stay or travel, because {wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah}.
It is recommended that we take advantage of the state of comfort in the family to discuss the concepts, which need a relaxed atmosphere, because during travel the heart and the mind are ready to accept admonition. Thus, we transform traveling into an intellectual and educational course to achieve happiness for the believing family.
The summer vacation is a favorable opportunity to add to our scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is to the believer’s advantage that he plans an organized educational program instead of the random readings, which does not yield a significant outcome. It is clear that knowledge of the exegesis, Tradition and Islamic jurisprudence should be given precedence..
The Moslem is a representative of Islam. Therefore, whenever he resides or stays he ought not defame his creed unintentionally by acting and dressing improperly. Imam ‘Alee (P.U.H) commanded us to be propagators of our faith with our deeds…
The most beautiful kind of tourism-and this speech is directed to the distinctive believers-is the spiritual tourism in which man travels with his heart-while still in this world-to the metaphysical world (what is called the voluntary death). The kind of pleasure, which is acquired from this free and always available travel-especially in the depth of the night-is not comparable to this world’s pleasures, for how could the pleasure of keeping company with the most Beloved be compared to that of keeping company with the short-lived creature. That is why one man used to cry in the depth of the night saying: “How far are the kings and the children of kings from this pleasure?”
